Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 99

2026 Convention Workbook
64 
OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
theological education and leadership centered in the Gospel of our 
Lord Jesus Christ for the formation of pastors, missionaries, dea-
conesses, scholars, and leaders in the name of the Synod. 
The mission of Concordia Seminary flows from the Gospel of 
Jesus Christ. God has sent His own Son into the world to redeem 
sinners by His death and resurrection. The Good News of repen-
tance, forgiveness, and eternal life in His name is being preached 
to the ends of the earth. Concordia Seminary is a part of this beau-
tiful, salvation-bringing work of our Triune God. As grateful heirs 
of the Reformation, we teach, preach, and confess in accord with 
the scriptural, Christ-centered witness of the Lutheran Confessions. 
The primary mission of Concordia Seminary, now in its 187th 
year, is to prepare men for the Holy Ministry of Word and Sacra-
ment in the LCMS. The Seminary also prepares women for ser -
vice to the church through its Deaconess Studies programs, offers 
advanced degree programs to qualified students of theology, and 
serves as a center for theological research, scholarship, and con-
tinuing education of the clergy and laity. Since its founding in 1839, 
Concordia Seminary has provided more than 13,000 workers for 
the church.
Concordia Seminary is aligned with and assists the Synod in 
achieving key objectives, including to: “conserve and promote the 
unity of the true faith” (Constitutional Article III, Objective 1); 
“strengthen congregations and their members in giving bold wit-
ness” (Objective 2); “recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other 
professional church workers and provide opportunity for their con-
tinuing growth” (Objective 3); “aid congregations by providing a 
variety of resources” (Objective 6); and “strive for uniformity in 
church practice, but also … an appreciation of a variety of respon-
sible practices and customs” (Objective 7).
The greatest strength of Concordia Seminary is our outstanding 
faculty—learned, dedicated, experienced, pastoral, faithful men. To 
our already strong roster, we have been blessed with a number of 
top-notch new professors over the last triennium: Dr. Sam Eather -
ton, the Rev. Dr. James Fickenscher, the Rev. Joel Fritsche, the Rev. 
Dr. John Genter, the Rev. Dr. Adam Hensley, the Rev. Dr. Jason 
Lane, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Pietsch, and the Rev. Dr. Ryan Tinetti. 
We have also been recently blessed with an outstanding new Direc-
tor of Deaconess Studies, Dcs. Dr. Jennie Asher.
In the spring and fall of 2023, respectively, Concordia Semi-
nary received regular accreditation visits from the Higher Learning 
Commission and the Association of Theological Schools. Both ac-
crediting organizations gave Concordia positive reviews and full 
10-year reaccreditation.
Church worker recruitment remains a key priority, and enroll-
ment at Concordia Seminary has increased over the last triennium. 
As of the Fall 2025 census, Concordia Seminary serves 641 stu-
dents across all academic programs, our highest enrollment in 17 
years. We give thanks to God and to His Church for three consecu-
tive years of growth in our residential pastoral formation programs, 
a clear sign of renewed momentum and confidence in preparing 
future pastors. This growth reflects the faithful partnership of pas-
tors, congregations, districts, and leaders across the Synod, along 
with the tireless work of our enrollment team, who continue to re-
cruit, encourage, and walk alongside those preparing for service. 
The Synod’s Set Apart to Serve initiative is bearing fruit, and strong 
current enrollment in the pre-seminary programs of our Concordia 
Universities is very encouraging. Concordia Seminary continues to 
partner with Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, in re-
to ordination in the Synod.
•	 Monitor and receive reports from all directors and commit -
tees charged with oversight of all routes to ordination and 
foster coordination and collaboration between such directors 
and committees.
•	 Consider the long-term strategic direction of the Synod’s 
pastoral formation, and facilitate discussion of the same with 
the seminaries’ boards of regents in their annual joint meet-
ing.
Over the 2023–26 triennium, the PFC convened consistently 
(and far more frequently than Bylaw 3.10.4.7’s minimum annu-
al meeting requirement), via face-to-face and internet conference 
meetings, in order to carry out its above-listed duties, including 
consultations and facilitation of discussions with the seminaries’ 
boards of regents in their annual joint meetings. 
2023 Convention Assignments
Beyond such regular duties, most notable over the triennium 
was the PFC’s ongoing work to fulfill assignments given to it under 
2023 Resolution 6-03A (Proceedings, 162–63):
•	 Prepare a report that analyzes and assesses ministerial or 
pastoral formation programs that have emerged within the 
Synod over the past several years, especially those preparing 
persons to perform the distinctive functions of the Office of 
the Holy Ministry, which lack approval of the Synod under 
its current Constitution and Bylaws and are not included in 
the current list (i.e., M.Div., RAR/AR, Specific Ministry 
to General Pastor Certificate, SMP, Specific Ministry Pas-
tor-Espanol/English Program, Ethnic Immigrant Institute of 
Theology, Center for Hispanic Studies, Cross-Cultural Min-
istry Center) of the Synod-approved routes to ordination.
•	 Prepare a report that examines and compares approaches and 
outcomes of residential (i.e., in-person) and non-residential 
(i.e., distance learning) routes to ordination as these relate 
to the Synod’s commitment to a well-formed clergy for the 
sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
•	 Identify and evaluate options and rationales, and prepare a 
report to the 2026 Synod convention, which proposes a ben-
eficial, clear, and concise definition of appropriate contexts 
for the ministry of SMP pastors.
•	 Develop and present a comprehensive, uniform, synodwide 
Specific Ministry Supervision Plan.
Reports R13.3–6 address the PFC’s assignments from the 
above-referenced convention resolution.
In May 2025, the PFC posted “Frequently Asked Questions: 
Unauthorized Non-LCMS Pastoral Formation Programs.” This 
document was released at the same time President Harrison, 
Dr. Egger (CSL), and Dr. Bruss (CTSFW) issued statements re-
garding unauthorized, non-LCMS pastoral formation programs 
(reporter.lcms.org/2025/lcms-addresses-unauthorized-non-lcms-  
pastoral-formation-programs/).
Daniel M. Galchutt, Interim Chief Mission Officer
R13.1
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri
Concordia Seminary serves church and world by providing